FIRE INTERRUPTS 6-YEAR-OLD GIRL'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Breanna Davis' sixth birthday party Saturday evening turned out to be a little more exciting than she anticipated.

The 18 young party guests had just collected ice cream and cake and were taking the treats out to the lawn when Breanna's father, Brian, followed the youngsters outside and noticed smoke coming from the vacant house next door at 214 S. Ellis.

"Then I saw fire blazing in the back," Davis said. He called the fire department and then moved the party across the street to a relative's home.

Breanna's new roller blades lay on her front porch as four firetrucks rolled up in front of the house. Police barricaded the block, as fire tore through the upper floor of the house to the north.

Fire Chief Dan White said firefighters put out the initial blaze quickly, but a series of small fires continued in hidden pockets of the roof.

High winds made fighting the fire more difficult. The winds also blew smoke across the city. Many people, out for afternoon walks, smelled the smoke. Several walked to South Ellis to see what was burning.

Rick Wilson lives next door to the burned house to the north. He first thought the smoke was from a neighbor's barbecue but soon discovered the house next door was on fire.

Wilson is in the process of remodeling his home at 212 S. Ellis and used his garden hose to wet his brand new roof.

White said the fire remains under investigation. This is the second time in less than a month that the house has been ablaze.

Bill Mungle, who owns the rental property, said the first fire was blamed on electrical problems, but he suspects that fire and the one Saturday were set intentionally, probably by kids.

Mungle buys condemned houses, refurbishes and then rents them. He owns about 15 rental houses in Cape Girardeau.

The house at 214 S. Ellis had been vacant about 90 days. "I was just getting ready to paint and put in new windows," Mungle said as he watched firefighters pry off pieces of the roof.

"I'll have to see now if this can be rebuilt or if I'll have to do some demolition," he said. "I just don't know."